Pivotal handle and handle-brace construction for containers



April 28, 1953 D WIEPERT G. 2,636,641 PIVOTAL HANDLE AND HANDLE-BRACE CONSTRUCTION FOR CONTAINERS Filed April 29, 1949 Patente d Apr. 28, 1953 S TATES T E N T l mvo'rAL HANDLE .AND HA nL gBnAoE GONSTRUCTION FOR CONTAINERS -ZGeoIfge-D. Wieper't, Branford, 001111., assignor t'o {The 'Merriam Manufacturing Company, :Dur- 'iham, Conn, a :corporation of Connecticut v'zipliliealtion'Aplifw, 1949, serial No. 90,466

( Cl.-:Z20'.96)

2 Claims. 1

"The present "invention rel'ates to improvements in handles for-cash boxes; tool boxes and other #containers, and "relates more particularly to improve'ments in supporting-means for such handles whereby'the same may be releasably held or braced in extended or open position.

One of the main objects of the present invention is to provide -'a pivotal handle and handle- "braee "construction for a container having a ment of parts whereb a pivotal handle may be releasably he'ldfiin an open or extended position and whereby when the handle proper is swun intoaits retiredposition, it, together with its supl'porting m'eans, wilhfit closelyto the surface of a container a'nd thus not :obtrude to an objectionuiblc degree.

"WithLI-the aboveiand'iother objects in view, as will. iappearuto those skilled in? the art 1 from the TIDI'BSEDt-ldiSClOSlllE, -this invention includes all features-:intthe saidwdisclcsure" which are novel'cver theprior artz iInnthe accompanying drawings, in which :cer-

Ltain modes .of carrying I out the present invention 'are'shown for illustrative purposes:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container equipped with the improved pivotal handle and xhandle-brace construction embodying the present invention;

Fig.2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the .top area of the containerof Fig. ion a larger scale and showing the pivotal handle and handle brace'in their retired positions;

iFig. 3is'a view similar to'Fig. .2 but showing the .handle .and the handle-brace swung outwardly;

:Eig. Adsaiohgitudinal sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 5 and showing both theharrdle and handle-latch in their outward position;

Fig. 5 is a top or plan view of the central area of 1 thercon-tainer-top togetherwith the handle and associated. features, which handle together with the handle-brace'are in their extended or operativeipositions;

Fig. dis a cross-sectional view takenon the :line B--.6 of. Fig. .1 but showing the cover swung intoanlopenposition-and supported by the pivot- .al. handle and handle-brace and .Fig. 7 is aview similar to Fig.2 and showing .'-a Slight modification of the invention.

Eor tthe purpose oi-making clear the utility of the pivotal handle and. handle-brace construction of the present invention, thereisshown in tlie' 'aecompanying drawings a containerof e type adapted to be utilizedasacash boxjho'ndboxfia tool box or the like and'which comprises a' re1a tively-deep' rectangular body l0 and 'a relativelyshallow rectangular cover ll pivotally connected 'to the said body by'hinge-me'ans indicated *at 1-1 2 in Fig. 6.

Spot-welded or otherwise rigldly'securdfto the upper face of the top Wall *l 3'ofthe'coveeII is a rectangular mounting-plate generally designated by the reference character T4.

The mounting-plate 14 above referred "to is pressed up to provide across-shap'ed *ehihossment generally designatedhythe referemze character l5 having ends of both its main reach'and cross-arm respectively intersecting the various edges of the mounting-p1ate, as'is 'espeeially well shown in Figs. 2 and 3. thusiormeifthe mounting-plate M and its-embossmen't ffi 'prdvi'des sockets it and l! respectively attheopposite ends of the said mounting-plate, and sockets "I 8 and l 9 respectively at the respectiveoppositesidesof the said mounting-plate though much clos'er tothe socket I! than to the socket ltbefore referred-to.

Pivotally connected to the respectiveopposite ends of the mounting plate l l' abov'e reierred to is a substantially U-shaped' handlepropergenerally designated by thereferenceoharacter "29, while pivotally connected to the 'respectiveopposite sides of the saidmounting-plateisafis'ubstantially U-shaped handle-brace generally designated by the reference character 2 l.

The handle proper 20 above referred to may he conveniently bent up from" heavy metalwireand, in the instance shown, comprises an outwardly arched cross-reach 22, which, when in its operative position extends in substantial parallelism with the upper surface of the cover H, two in tegral substantially-parallel side-arms 23 and 24 both extending substantially perpendicularly with respect to the upper surfac'eof the cover H and respectively terminatingin integral pintles'25 and 25. The said pintles 25 and 26 extendtoward each other and respectively extend into the sockets i5 and H "provided bythete'rrnin'al ends of the main reach of the embossm'ent l5 ofthe mounting-plate M. Adjacent the side -arm 2 2, the cross-reachtfi is provided "with a stop-'ahutment 22a for the purposeas willhereinafterappear.

The handle-brace :2! above referred to, like-the hand-1e proper 2! maybe conveniently fcrmed'of metal, wire having an appreciable degree of springinessand comprises a oross=reach 27 extending crosswise of the mountingeplaite T4 in substantial parallelism therewith when the handle brace is in its operative position, "twaintegral side-arms 28 and 29 respectively terminating in integral pintles 39 and 3!.

The pintles 39 and 3| above referred to extend toward each other in parallelism with the upper surface of the cover II and respectively extend into the sockets l8 and I9 provided by the terminal ends of the cross-arm of the embossment in the mounting-plate M. The central portion of the cross-reach 21 is bowed downwardly toward the pintles 39 and 3| to provide a retaining-loop 32 for the reception of the cross-reach 22 of the handle 29 under circumstances as will-be hereinafter explained. The retaining-loop 32 just referred to not only is bowed toward the pintles 39 and 3| but is also bowed to one side, as may be seen by reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, in particular,

so as to accommodate the adjacent portion of the embossment l5 when swung down into its retired position in the manner indicated in Figs. 1 and 2.

Normally, the handle 29 will be swung downwardly into the position in which it is shown in Figs. 1 and 2 against the upper surface of the top wall l3 of the cover H and will be yieldingly held in such position by the frictional engagement of its pintles 29 and 26 in the sockets it and I! and against the upper surface of the top wall It. Similarly, the handle-brace 2! will normally be swung down into its retired position, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, in which position it will be held by the frictional engagement of its pintles 3t and 3| with the sockets l8 and i9 and the adjacent upper surfaceof the top wall It. Inthe position just described, the retaining-loop 32 will accommodate the adjacent portion of the erobossment I5, as is especially well shown in Fig. 2.

It is preferred to employ a-separate mounting plate such as [4, but it is to be noted that, if desired, the embossment It or its equivalent may be formed directly in the cover H, as shown in Fig. 7, in which case, for the purposes of the present disclosureand the appended claims, the portion of the cover to which the handle is at tached is considered to be the mounting plate.

When it is desired to carry the container, the handle 29 may be swung upwardly and the fingers of the user extended beneath the cross-reach 22,

in the normal manner of container-handles.

, Should-however, it be desired to swing the cover 19 into its fully open position, to thereby fully expose the contents of the body 19 of the container and should it further be desired to support the said cover I! in. its said fully open position side by side with the body H) as is indicated in Fig. 6,

movement of the handle-brace 2! in a direction toward the side-arm 2d of the handle 29. In order to prevent the handle-brace from dropping back to its retired position, it is desirable that the retaining loop 32 be located on a line substantially perpendicular to the intersection in the cross-shaped embossment 15 as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Under these conditions, the handle 29 will be held against swinging into its retired position by the handle-brace 2| and, conversely, the handle-brace itself will be held by the said handle against accidental movement into its retired position.

The handle 29 and handle-brace 21 as thus erected will provide a rigid mutually-supporting structure extending away from the face of the cover I I so as to rest upon the same table or other surface as that upon which the body Ill may be placed, to thus support the said cover in substantially the position in which it is shown in Fig. 6. In the position just referred to, the inverted cover H forms a convenient receptacle (while supported by the members 29 and 2|) for receiving part of the contents of the body ID of the container during the sorting of the latter or a search therethrough.

By means of the present invention, the utility of a covered container is greatly increased by adequately supporting the cover thereof in substan tially the position shown in Fig. 6.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in allrespects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

1 claim:

l. A handle of. the class described comprising in combination a mounting plat having acrossshaped embossment shaped to provide two pairs of outwardly opening sockets, a substantially U-shaped handle member including a cross-reach and a pair of side-arms extending therefrom, said handle member being pivoted to one pair of said sockets in said mounting plate and swingable relative thereto into and out of operative position substantially perpendicular to said mounting plate, a substantially U-shaped handle-brace also including a cross-reach and a pair of side-arms extending therefrom, said handle-brace being pivoted to the other pair of said sockets in said mounting plate and swingable relative thereto into and out of operative bracing position with said handle member, the cross-reach of said handle brace being provided with a retaining loop shaped to engage and retain the cross-reach of said handle member when both the latterand the handle-brace are in their respective operative positions, said retaining loop being further shaped to fit over the embossment of said mounting plate when said handle-brace is swung out of its operative position. r

2. The combination defined in claim 1 which further includes a stop-abutment on the cross reach of said handle member for engagement by the retaining loop of said handle-brace when the latter is swung into its operative position with the handle member, the portion of said retaining loop engaging said stop-abutment being on a line substantially perpendicular to the mounting plate at the intersection in said cross-shaped embossment, and wherein said mounting plate comprises an integral portion of the article on which said handle is mounted.

GEORGE D. WIEPERT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Yawman Oct. 15, 1935 

